Tuesday, September 04, 2012

Inside the Ride Mission Space

Epcot ® at Walt Disney World ® will be celebrating its 30th anniversary on Monday, October 1 with plenty of anniversary events and commemorative merchandise. To honor Epcot’s ® birthday, Orlando Fun Tickets will be featuring a different Epcot ® ride every week in our Inside the Ride series. Today, we begin with the out-of-this-world thrill ride Mission: Space.

Designed to let guests feel what it is like to be an astronaut on board a spacecraft on a mission to Mars, Mission: Space is a motion simulated ride that launches guests into a simulated space adventure with a thrilling lift-off followed by the sensation of weightlessness in outer space!

Upon entering the ride, you’ll walk into the queue area, which represents a futuristic International Space training Center. Hanging on the walls is a huge rotating Gravity Wheel from “Mission to Mars” as well as a replica of a NASA moon rover from Apollo program.

Before boarding the simulators, riders are assigned an on-board role (the navigator, pilot, commander or engineer.) They are then given two tasks to perform during their mission, which varies depending on your role. To fulfill your tasks you must push the appropriate buttons at the appropriate times to help your spacecraft launch, land and return safely to Earth. This feature adds realism to the ride, giving guests the chance to feel what it is really like being in control of a space ship.

The ride then begins with a launch countdown. As you’re counting down, your seat will tilt back into the launch position, which puts you completely face up on your back. At lift off, you’ll blast off and feel incredible G Forces as you speed away from Earth. As you fly towards Mars you’ll begin to feel weightlessness. While in flight, you’ll take a slingshot around the moon, experience a brief period of simulated hyper-sleep, and a descent as you land on the planet. And just like real astronauts, guests undergo training exercises that better prepare them for unexpected situations that could occur during flight.

And if you want to experience everything about space flight but without all of the g-forces and intensity you can now choose to bypass the intense spinning action. Just let a cast member know which version you’d like to ride and you’ll be directed to the appropriate queue.

After you’ve completed the mission, you can participate in activities in the Advanced Training Lab, which is basically a group game called Mission: Space Race. The game lets players perform tasks as Mission Control technicians. The area also includes a space-themed play area for children, an arcade-style game and a kiosk where video post-cards can be created and sent via email.

For a chance to take a mission to Mars look for discounted Walt Disney World ® tickets right here on Orlando Fun Tickets. Stay tuned for more Epcot ® anniversary details.